The Carlsberg Archives

Through the Carlsberg Archives we can still experience the history of Carlsberg - digitally and physically.

The digitalised J.C. Jacobsen Family Archives

'The J. C. Jacobsen Family Archive' contains a variety of documents originally belonging to the founder of the Carlsberg Breweries, J. C. Jacobsen and his relatives. In 2009 the Carlsberg Archives began to digitize these documents in order to make them accessible on the Internet where they can now be studied free of charge.

The Carlsberg Archives have chosen to focus on digitizing the letters to and from J. C. Jacobsen himself and his other personal papers such as notebooks, drawings & sketches, diplomas and other distinctions. Approximately 725 J.C. Jacobsen documents have now been scanned, transcribed and partly annotated. All together the database contains roughly 1200 documents.

Tips for searching the archive:

The documents of the main categories 'letters', 'notes', 'photographs' and 'legal documents' can be searched either by author or recipient (or a combination of both) chosen from the drop-down lists.

A 'free text search' is also possible in the field 'must contain', as well as a search by language. Use the 'search' button to start the search.

The search results will be shown chronologically ascending.

By a click on the date a new page with a transcription of the document will open. Here you will also find comments etc. A scanning of the original document can be opened in a new window by clicking the link 'attachment'.

Before a new search all the fields must be cleared by clicking the 'clear' button.

The Carlsberg Archives house records and photographs documenting the story of the company and the Jacobsen family from the 18th Century to the present day.

The earliest records date from the 1700s when Christen Jacobsen, the father of Carlsberg’s founder JC Jacobsen, was employed in the Royal Brew House in Copenhagen.Originally a farmer from Jutland, he worked his way up from brewery worker to director before setting up his own brewery.

The far-reaching influence of Carlsberg on Danish society, culture and industry gives the Archives far greater significance than just company history. For example, papers have been found relating to the first use of electric light in Copenhagen and to the earliest designs of lorries and other transportation.

Helping brewers and film crews

It’s the Archives’ staff that maintains the old records and evaluates new materials coming from Carlsberg’s business. The staff also researches and answers hundreds of requests for information from Carlsberg employees and external users:

Examples of research in the Archives are finding an original recipe for a 1905 beer to our own Innovations Centre and helping a film studio to recreate an authentic Danish bar of the 1940.

Contact the Carlsberg Archives

The Archives are not open to the general public, although visits by historians and researchers can be arranged. Historical items and pieces of art are also occasionally lent to museums and exhibitions.